Scientific Journey: Bulma's Story:
A.N: Wohoo! I actually made it to chapter 10! Thought I'd throw in a battle scene just for the hell of it. Aaah! My back aches from leaning over and typing so much! The things I do...lol. I really enjoyed writing this chapter though, dunno why, I just did. I tried not to leave a cliffy, but, well, heheh I love em! They're a cheap way to keep your attention while I spend ages updating. Hey! I need to do that some way don't I!? Besides, the story has to develop. Haha! Neways, enjoy!
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Chapter 10: Vegeta 1 - Bulma 1
"OW!! THAT HURT!!!"
ChiChi's cries of pain had no affect on Bulma however, as she ruthlessly plucked her eyebrows into an arched shape. Bulma simply rolled her eyes and continued, showing no mercy whatsoever.
"Pain means beauty ChiChi!"
ChiChi merely folded her arms and grinded her teeth together as Bulma plucked yet another stray hair from her eyebrows. Did beauty really have to cause so much pain? It just wasn't fair.
"Well, maybe I liked how they were before! OW!"
"Well when I'm done, you'll like them even more! So just grin and bear it; the result will be well worth it, trust me."
Bulma's words proved correct as she held a mirror up to show ChiChi the result. She smiled in approval, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She looked even more like her mother; long eyelashes, big oval shaped eyes, neat eyebrows, strong cheekbones, a small nose, and soft rounded lips. The only aspects of her father that she had inherited were his chocolate brown eyes and dark hair, which complimented her even further. Though she just wished that she'd fill out a little more, since her figure still remained a little boyish and petite, probably due to all the training she did. But she wasn't lean; her arms, legs, and stomach were all very well toned.
"Now, what should we do with your hair? Hmm." Bulma rubbed her chin as she thought, and glanced over at the table at the scissors. ChiChi had very long and beautiful hair, but it was a little straggly at the ends. ChiChi backed into the chair as far as she could as Bulma grabbed the scissors.
"No way are you cutting my hair!!" She liked it how it was, it had taken her ages to grow after all, and now it was as long as her mothers.
"Calm down, I'm just gonna give it a trim. Don't worry; it'll still be the same length. Hmmm, or I could layer it a little. Yeah! That'll look nice."
"NO!! I like it how it is!"
"Ok, ok! Geez. Just let me trim it then." ChiChi hesitated, but eventually turned round so that her back faced Bulma. She winced as Bulma began to snip away. It didn't hurt obviously, but she still didn't entirely trust Bulma, and ChiChi's hair was very important to her.
"Just, be careful please."
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Vegeta ducked as Radditz tried to land a punch, only to have to suddenly quickly react to Kakarrot's knee aimed at his gut, and Nappa's elbow to his cheek. Damn he loved 3 on 1s! It was only in this kind of spar that his skills were truly tested to the limit. Although, the result would usually be painful; the whole experience was more than worth it. Vegeta fired a ki blast to deal with Radditz, who flew backwards and crashed hardly into the metal wall. That was him out for a few minutes. However, his ki blast put him momentarily off guard as he aimed, and he gasped for air as Kakarrot landed a punch to his gut, and continued to pound him, winding him incredibly. Vegeta tried to punch Kakarrot in the face, but his fist was caught in Kakarrot's palm. Just when he thought he'd got things sussed, along comes Nappa with an almighty kick to Vegeta's face, his boot hitting him directly in his nose and sending him flying backwards from the force into a wall. However, before Vegeta's back actually hit the wall, he stopped mid air and had to then dodge the many ki blasts that had been fired by both Kakarrot and Nappa. He felt like a mouse being cornered by two cats, and he loved it! The fight was exhilarating, especially when his strongest guards were giving it there all. He'd ordered them all to power up to maximum, and especially not to show him any mercy. To his surprise and delight, they'd obeyed, and as Nappa continued to fire ki blasts, Kakarrot began to charge up his favourite signature move; the Kamehameha. Vegeta grinned, 'it the baka thinks he can win with that foolish attack, then he's got another thing coming!!'
"KA"
Vegeta dodged yet another of Nappa's ki blasts, the room thundering as each ki ball collided with either the wall, ceiling, or floor. Meanwhile, a blue ki ball began to form in Kakarrot's palms.
"ME"
Nappa grinned as Vegeta tried a new tactic of flying up to the ceiling where the walls met into a point. He'd have a much better aim now!
"HA"
Nappa fired a much stronger ki blast, only to witness Vegeta knock it back with the back of his hand. He yelled in panic as his own ki ball plummeted towards him at a high speed, forcing him to put his dodging skills to the test. Vegeta smirked, and then began to focus on his ki and his next threat.
"ME"
Vegeta closed his eyes, a white large ki ball forming in his hands. "BIG-"
"HA!!!!!"
"BANG!!!"
The two ki balls met in the centre of the room; Vegeta's white big bang attack, and Kakarrot's blue-white Kamehameha attack. Radditz and Nappa had to cover their eyes from the intense light as the ki balls fought each other. Vegeta and Kakarrot yelled as they tried to force all of their ki into their attacks, eagerly trying to beat the power surge. The loser would be in immense pain, since both were charging up their ki attacks more and more as the surge continued. First Vegeta's attack would begin to surpass Kakarrot's, but then the tables would suddenly turn. However, Vegeta's energy began to drain, as did Kakarrot's but Vegeta found that his blast was being surpassed!
'Damn that Kakarrot! He had more time to power up than I did!" He gaped wide-eyed as his blast was over-ruled by Kakarrot's, and prepared to block as it soared towards him. There was a large flash as the blast collided with Vegeta, and the white light filled the entire room, eventually dying down to reveal Vegeta still blocking, but considerably burned by the impact. He gasped for air and floated down to the ground to fall onto his knees. Nappa immediately rushed over and helped his Prince onto his feet, onto to be pushed away once Vegeta had re-gained his balance.
"I don't need OR want your sympathy Nappa!"
Nappa simply stepped back and lowered his head in shame, and Vegeta limped over to Kakarrot, chuckling, as he finally stood infront of the very nervous looking tall Saiyan. He unexpectedly whacked his back in a friendly sort of fashion, startling Kakarrot slightly; he'd expected a fist in his face, not a friendly gesture!
"You never fail to disappoint me Kakarrot. Bardock would be proud of you if he was here to witness your strength. Keep up the training, but next time, I WILL beat you." Kakarrot smiled in a goofy way and Vegeta glanced at Radditz, who stood in the corner of the room a little battered and bruised. 'Pathetic,' Vegeta thought, and decided to cause an even bigger rift between the two brothers. "I wish I could say the same to you Radditz. You should take lessons from your 'younger' brother. Maybe you could learn something from him!" Radditz winced as Vegeta emphasised the word 'younger,' and sent a dagger glare to his brother. He'd show them all that he was the stronger brother, even if it killed him! "Come Kakarrot, we have certain errands to take care of." Kakarrot immediately followed Vegeta out of the room, leaving a very jealous older brother behind with his companion, Nappa, who was a little annoyed that he hadn't been praised, just scorned. At least he was stronger than Radditz though, and everyone knew that, so at least he still had SOME pride.
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Ajax stood before his King trying to keep his expression neutral, even though the hate he felt in his heart towards the man made him want to rip his stupid head off there and then.
"Of course you can trust me your Majesty. I live my life to serve you, and you alone. Your wish is my command."
"Yes, that's what I wanted to hear. I knew I could trust you, that's why I called you in particular here." Ajax couldn't help it as his eyebrows twitched together; he probably hated grovelling to his enemy just as much as the King loved just about anyone grovelling to him. "I have a special little, well, 'mission' I suppose you could call it. Though, it's very secret, so I'm putting my trust in you to keep it that way."
"Oh?"
"Yes, I need you to do a little spying. My son is starting to irritate me, and the fact that he's never here is bothering me even more."
"I'll keep my eye on him your majesty."
"He's not staying in the palace, so I want to know where he's going. Do what you must, and tell only who you must."
Ajax grinned to himself; King Vegeta wasn't the only person who wanted to know where Vegeta was going. Frieza was very agitated with the whole situation, and had also given Ajax similar orders.
"I'll do my best my King. Is that all?"
"One more thing. I have an equally secret delivery for you to make. Oh, and if you see my brat, direct him here immediately." The King presented a red envelope and handed it to Ajax, who inspected the name and address. He recognised the name all too much, and sighed as he realised that the address was a planet situated at a moderate distance from Vegetasei. It would probably take him 2months to get there and back. Frieza would not be pleased.
"I will do so immediately your Majesty."
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Kakarrot followed Vegeta through the corridors of the Palace as they headed towards the storerooms. Kakarrot couldn't help but feel very proud of himself; his large teeth bearing grin giving away the large amount of happiness and pride that he felt. They passed the throne room at a quicker pace, only to hear the doors fly open as they had reached a considerable distance from them. Vegeta chose to ignore it, but scowled as he heard someone call his name.
"Prince Vegeta! I have orders from the King to pass on a message." Vegeta rolled his eyes and turned round to see none other than his favourite elite.
"Ajax, long time no see." Ajax immediately noticed the cold tone in Vegeta's already harsh voice and nodded, acknowledging Vegeta's newest company; the famous Kakarrot.
"Indeed it has been, the whole Palace is baffled as to your whereabouts." Vegeta raised an eyebrow; he didn't approve of Ajax's inquisitive tone.
"I'm here now aren't I? No, what was this message? You're wasting my valuable time with your useless banter."
"My apologies your highness. I've only just been told by the King to direct you to the throne room should I see you. He said that it was urgent."
"Ugh! Kakarrot, we're taking a detour." Vegeta stormed past Ajax in a huff and threw open the throne room doors, smirking as they banged against the white walls, hitting one of the unsuspecting Royal guards in the process while the other leapt out of the way. He then let his smirk deepen as he saw his father's face. 'It's times like these that I wish I had a camera.' He bowed when he stood before the King, and Kakarrot waited with the guards by the door, not wanting to intrude.
"You called father?"
"Such a dramatic entrance Vegeta, is something bothering you?" The King raised a suspicious eyebrow as Vegeta grinned, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"No. Should there be?"
"Of course not. I have some pleasing news for you. I would've told you sooner had you actually been in the palace."
"Get to the point. What is this urgent news?" The King grinned, loving the fact that he was in control; he was the one who was keeping his son in suspense.
"I've decided to take matters in my own hands lately. I won't be around forever you see, and you should've chosen a mate at your eighteenth. Though you choose to disobey me still I see. Aren't the common palace sluts even good enough for you anymore?" Vegeta scowled, 'how DARE he interrupt with my life! I don't want used goods, especially those in the harem! I refuse to even look at anything he was laid a finger on!'
"Well, what can I say? Other planets have more exotic beauties. Besides, that is no business of yours!"
"Well recently, I've made it MY business. I've decided to make your decision for you, whether you like it, or not. The law does say that you must have chosen your mate by your eighteenth. It is your duty as a prince."
"I'm not eighteen anymore father, I'm twenty-one. Too bad, looks like I broke the law 3years ago, and you only just realise? You really are going senile." Vegeta was more than satisfied with the frustrated vein that appeared on his father's forehead; something he'd unfortunately inherited since it ran in his family.
"Back to the point," The King's voice was slightly strained as he tried to remain calm. He needed to keep to his plans in order to trap his son and therefore discover the long awaited truth to his son's constant disappearance. "I'm holding a celebration in honour of my son and his decision to mate at last."
"I never made that decision."
"You have now, and what I say goes. I expect you to be here on the full moon of the 8th moon phase. I'm inviting a special guest who I'm sure you'll be very pleased to see."
"I doubt that. What if I choose not to go to this little 'celebration'?"
"You WILL be here Vegeta, the whole of Vegetasei will be expecting you be there. Do you really want to let down the country you will 'someday' rule?" He emphasised the word 'someday,' agitating Vegeta slightly since he made it seem like it would be a very long time before he would take over from his father.
"I'll think about it."
"No Vegeta, you've already decided. Enjoy freedom while you still can." Vegeta merely 'hmphed,' and turned his back on his father, ready to leave as soon as he could. "Oh, and that reminds me." Vegeta froze; what else did his father think he could force him into? "Having a mate means that you can't keep certain slaves, remember? I'll gladly take them off your hands." The King grinned; he was on to him, he had been for a long time, and Vegeta finally realised.
'Foolish bastard! He can't plan shit! I know exactly what he's up to, and I will never succumb to his plans. He'll have to fight me.' He grinned, liking where his own new plans were going.
"You'll have to find out where I'm lodging first old man, and I doubt you of all people will find the answer to take too soon, no matter who the hell you employ." Vegeta chuckled and made his exit, watched by the narrowed eyes of his father.
'Just you wait brat; you haven't heard the last from me! Not yet.'
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Kakarrot glanced at the Prince; he had a deep scowl on his face ever since he'd returned from his talk with his father. The scowl had now deepened as they flew back to Vegeta's hideout in silence. The fact that Vegeta kept looking behind him unsettled Kakarrot even more so; why would Vegeta be worried about anyone following them?
"Erm, is everything ok your highness?"
"YES!" Vegeta snapped back loudly, not even looking back at Kakarrot, who decided to once again remain silent. After all, he didn't want to annoy Vegeta even more; the results wouldn't be pretty.
The scowl still adorned Vegeta's usually handsome face as they finally landed outside the log home. The workers had once again left a mess outside, and had retired to their lodgings for the evening. Kakarrot led the way into the house via the backdoor to find dinner cooking on the stove. His stomach grumbled at the smell of cooking food and he dumped the many supplies that he'd carried from the palace, dumping them wherever he seemed fit. Vegeta's scowl deepened as he watched Kakarrot unpack; he hated messy people like Kakarrot invading his space and disorganising it.
"Fuckin hell Kakarrot! Just get out of my sight!" Kakarrot froze, and then immediately obeyed, leaving via the back door as quickly as possible. Vegeta sighed, his ears picking up giggling from the lounge. 'Now what is the bitch up to?' He strolled into the lounge via the closed door and gaped at what he saw. There, sat his slave and the other woman, but they both looked different. He was completely lost for words as he stared at one human in particular, he normally straight hair now set in loose curls. Whatever Bulma had done to enhance her already perfect appearance, he liked it! So much infact, that he had to fight the urge to just lift her into his arms and run upstairs where he could relieve all of his built up tension. There was only one way to fight that urge and remain cool however, and he knew Bulma wouldn't like it.
"What the fuck is going on in here?"
The two women gaped at him and Bulma suddenly frowned, putting away the nail polish that she was applying to ChiChi's nails. She'd at least expected a compliment, but she guessed that was asking too much from Vegeta the Ice King, or prince rather.
"Girls night in. Sorry Vegeta, you're not invited. OUT!" He stared at her in disbelief; how dare she tell him to leave his own room! The room that he'd built in the house that he'd built. And what the fuck was a girl's night in!? He'd heard of bi-sexual Saiyans, but he hadn't thought Bulma swung that way.
"Fuck your 'girls night in'! Your wasting your time in here while I've been getting damn supplies! I expected to see food when I got home, not the two of you 'pampering' yourselves! I should just throw you out and let you both fuckin starve!!"
Bulma slammed the small jar of nail polish onto the table and stood up, feeling a little more powerful when Vegeta wasn't towering above her, even though he was a few feet away.
"Fuck you VEGETA! Women NEED to be 'pampered' every now and then you know! And since neither of you 'men' won't and CAN'T do the job, we find other ways! NOW GET OUT!"
The nerve of her! The fact that she was feistier than ever annoyed him even more, and damn she looked stunning when she was in a mood. Vegeta folded his arms, trying to gain control of the situation, which was hard when he had so many other things on his mind to deal with. Controlling his animalistic urges being one of them.
"Woman, there's no way you're kicking me out of my own damn house!"
Oh yes she was! He raised an eyebrow as she stormed towards him, and before he knew it, he was staring at her seductive swinging hips, oblivious to the fact that she was very, very, pissed off. In one quick movement, she placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back into the kitchen while he was off-guard. Before Vegeta could even react, the door slammed in his face. He was about to rip the door off its hinges and charge back in there, but a certain voice interrupted him. Bad mistake.
"What's going on Vegeta? I could hear the arguing from outside!"
"I thought I told you to stay out of my face Kakarrot!" It wasn't a question, more of a statement, but Kakarrot wanted to see ChiChi, who hadn't been in her room.
"Is ChiChi in there?" Vegeta could've slapped the other Saiyan for his ignorance. Did no one listen to him anymore? Was he that unimportant? Nah, he was just loosing his touch.
"They're having a 'girls night in.' WE'RE not invited." With that stated, Vegeta slumped down onto one of the wooden chairs, ignoring the bubbling food in the pots. Kakarrot immediately tended to it however, not wanting his food to burn, even if there was a pathetically small amount being cooked.
"Well then let's have our own party!" Vegeta glared at his fellow Saiyan. The whole idea seemed pretty camp to him, especially as he watched Kakarrot cook; now THAT was disturbing! Kakarrot piled some huge potatoes into another pot and let them boil, adding a concoction of herbs and various green and red vegetables. He should've been a chef!
"You really are full of pathetic ideas Kakarrot! It makes me sick."
"C'mon Vegeta, we've got the kitchen!" Vegeta raised an eyebrow; the baka had actually said something intelligent for once!
"You're right! We have all the food we want!" He began to chuckle; another evil plan forming in his head. "They have to get hungry some time, and when they do. Haha! HAHAHAHAAA!" Kakarrot stared at Vegeta blankly as he laughed to himself, one of his famous, evil full blast laughs that he hardly ever used unless he had something really malicious on his mind. "We have all the power we need!" Kakarrot watched as Vegeta stood up and moved his chair under the door handle leading to the lounge; there was no way that anyone was getting into the kitchen now! Or anywhere else in the house even, since he'd only blocked off the lounge door. The small rectangle hallway, the stairs, and everything upstairs were only accessible now via the kitchen.
"Erm, Vegeta? Why are you blocking off the lounge?"
"I'm keeping them out of here baka, and the rest of the house too even!!" He smirked and sat back down, putting his feet up on the next chair and resting his head against his arms outstretched behind him. "Tonight, we feast Kakarrot. She'll be sorry she ever spoke a word back to me! Stupid little bitch, I'm even starting to pity her...nah! To hell am I! She deserves this!"
Kakarrot however, wasn't exactly sure if he liked the idea. He'd only wanted to see ChiChi after all, and here he was, getting himself involved with Vegeta's evil plans and letting ChiChi get dragged along in Vegeta and Bulma's constant games of war! That didn't bode too well at all.
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Meanwhile, Bulma and ChiChi were oblivious to the goings on outside of the lounge. Sure, Bulma knew Vegeta was somewhere in the house, probably sulking. Yeah, she wished! In reality, he was most likely taking his anger out on Kakarrot. Poor Kakarrot! She sighed and continued to file her nails. Vegeta just HAD to go and spoil her evening!
ChiChi watched the ever-changing expressions of Bulma's face, as she was lost in her own thoughts. She couldn't decide whether Bulma's latest actions against Vegeta had been good or bad. It was true that he hadn't really paid attention to Bulma, but she hated him anyway, so what was the big deal? She just had to find out, the question was killing her!
"Bulma? Erm, do you, well, erm, what I'm trying to say is, erm-"
"Spit it out ChiChi."
"Do you like Vegeta?"
Big mistake. Bulma froze, and ChiChi wished the ground would just swallow her up!
"Why are you asking me that? Isn't the answer obvious?" ChiChi wished that it was! Maybe then, she wouldn't have asked.
"Not really. I mean, you know, sometimes, you get along. But then, there's times like these where you, well, don't."
"I HATE HIM! He's a pain in the fucking ass. The un-removable thorn in my damn foot! I hate him ChiChi, H-A-T-E!"
"Ok."
The silence grew between them, and Bulma once again began to file her nails, though ChiChi wasn't completely convinced with Bulma's answer. She guessed that she'd just have to persevere and figure out the true answer for herself. There was no harm in doing that now, was there? After all, Bulma was constantly asking about Kakarrot, so why couldn't she ask about Vegeta? I mean, that seemed fair! Bulma would just have to deal with it if ChiChi found out she'd been lying, not that she was accusing her of lying though! ChiChi would never do such a thing.
A.N: Wohoo! I actually made it to chapter 10! Thought I'd throw in a battle scene just for the hell of it. Aaah! My back aches from leaning over and typing so much! The things I do...lol. I really enjoyed writing this chapter though, dunno why, I just did. I tried not to leave a cliffy, but, well, heheh I love em! They're a cheap way to keep your attention while I spend ages updating. Hey! I need to do that some way don't I!? Besides, the story has to develop. Haha! Neways, enjoy!
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Chapter 10: Vegeta 1 - Bulma 1
"OW!! THAT HURT!!!"
ChiChi's cries of pain had no affect on Bulma however, as she ruthlessly plucked her eyebrows into an arched shape. Bulma simply rolled her eyes and continued, showing no mercy whatsoever.
"Pain means beauty ChiChi!"
ChiChi merely folded her arms and grinded her teeth together as Bulma plucked yet another stray hair from her eyebrows. Did beauty really have to cause so much pain? It just wasn't fair.
"Well, maybe I liked how they were before! OW!"
"Well when I'm done, you'll like them even more! So just grin and bear it; the result will be well worth it, trust me."
Bulma's words proved correct as she held a mirror up to show ChiChi the result. She smiled in approval, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She looked even more like her mother; long eyelashes, big oval shaped eyes, neat eyebrows, strong cheekbones, a small nose, and soft rounded lips. The only aspects of her father that she had inherited were his chocolate brown eyes and dark hair, which complimented her even further. Though she just wished that she'd fill out a little more, since her figure still remained a little boyish and petite, probably due to all the training she did. But she wasn't lean; her arms, legs, and stomach were all very well toned.
"Now, what should we do with your hair? Hmm." Bulma rubbed her chin as she thought, and glanced over at the table at the scissors. ChiChi had very long and beautiful hair, but it was a little straggly at the ends. ChiChi backed into the chair as far as she could as Bulma grabbed the scissors.
"No way are you cutting my hair!!" She liked it how it was, it had taken her ages to grow after all, and now it was as long as her mothers.
"Calm down, I'm just gonna give it a trim. Don't worry; it'll still be the same length. Hmmm, or I could layer it a little. Yeah! That'll look nice."
"NO!! I like it how it is!"
"Ok, ok! Geez. Just let me trim it then." ChiChi hesitated, but eventually turned round so that her back faced Bulma. She winced as Bulma began to snip away. It didn't hurt obviously, but she still didn't entirely trust Bulma, and ChiChi's hair was very important to her.
"Just, be careful please."
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Vegeta ducked as Radditz tried to land a punch, only to have to suddenly quickly react to Kakarrot's knee aimed at his gut, and Nappa's elbow to his cheek. Damn he loved 3 on 1s! It was only in this kind of spar that his skills were truly tested to the limit. Although, the result would usually be painful; the whole experience was more than worth it. Vegeta fired a ki blast to deal with Radditz, who flew backwards and crashed hardly into the metal wall. That was him out for a few minutes. However, his ki blast put him momentarily off guard as he aimed, and he gasped for air as Kakarrot landed a punch to his gut, and continued to pound him, winding him incredibly. Vegeta tried to punch Kakarrot in the face, but his fist was caught in Kakarrot's palm. Just when he thought he'd got things sussed, along comes Nappa with an almighty kick to Vegeta's face, his boot hitting him directly in his nose and sending him flying backwards from the force into a wall. However, before Vegeta's back actually hit the wall, he stopped mid air and had to then dodge the many ki blasts that had been fired by both Kakarrot and Nappa. He felt like a mouse being cornered by two cats, and he loved it! The fight was exhilarating, especially when his strongest guards were giving it there all. He'd ordered them all to power up to maximum, and especially not to show him any mercy. To his surprise and delight, they'd obeyed, and as Nappa continued to fire ki blasts, Kakarrot began to charge up his favourite signature move; the Kamehameha. Vegeta grinned, 'it the baka thinks he can win with that foolish attack, then he's got another thing coming!!'
"KA"
Vegeta dodged yet another of Nappa's ki blasts, the room thundering as each ki ball collided with either the wall, ceiling, or floor. Meanwhile, a blue ki ball began to form in Kakarrot's palms.
"ME"
Nappa grinned as Vegeta tried a new tactic of flying up to the ceiling where the walls met into a point. He'd have a much better aim now!
"HA"
Nappa fired a much stronger ki blast, only to witness Vegeta knock it back with the back of his hand. He yelled in panic as his own ki ball plummeted towards him at a high speed, forcing him to put his dodging skills to the test. Vegeta smirked, and then began to focus on his ki and his next threat.
"ME"
Vegeta closed his eyes, a white large ki ball forming in his hands. "BIG-"
"HA!!!!!"
"BANG!!!"
The two ki balls met in the centre of the room; Vegeta's white big bang attack, and Kakarrot's blue-white Kamehameha attack. Radditz and Nappa had to cover their eyes from the intense light as the ki balls fought each other. Vegeta and Kakarrot yelled as they tried to force all of their ki into their attacks, eagerly trying to beat the power surge. The loser would be in immense pain, since both were charging up their ki attacks more and more as the surge continued. First Vegeta's attack would begin to surpass Kakarrot's, but then the tables would suddenly turn. However, Vegeta's energy began to drain, as did Kakarrot's but Vegeta found that his blast was being surpassed!
'Damn that Kakarrot! He had more time to power up than I did!" He gaped wide-eyed as his blast was over-ruled by Kakarrot's, and prepared to block as it soared towards him. There was a large flash as the blast collided with Vegeta, and the white light filled the entire room, eventually dying down to reveal Vegeta still blocking, but considerably burned by the impact. He gasped for air and floated down to the ground to fall onto his knees. Nappa immediately rushed over and helped his Prince onto his feet, onto to be pushed away once Vegeta had re-gained his balance.
"I don't need OR want your sympathy Nappa!"
Nappa simply stepped back and lowered his head in shame, and Vegeta limped over to Kakarrot, chuckling, as he finally stood infront of the very nervous looking tall Saiyan. He unexpectedly whacked his back in a friendly sort of fashion, startling Kakarrot slightly; he'd expected a fist in his face, not a friendly gesture!
"You never fail to disappoint me Kakarrot. Bardock would be proud of you if he was here to witness your strength. Keep up the training, but next time, I WILL beat you." Kakarrot smiled in a goofy way and Vegeta glanced at Radditz, who stood in the corner of the room a little battered and bruised. 'Pathetic,' Vegeta thought, and decided to cause an even bigger rift between the two brothers. "I wish I could say the same to you Radditz. You should take lessons from your 'younger' brother. Maybe you could learn something from him!" Radditz winced as Vegeta emphasised the word 'younger,' and sent a dagger glare to his brother. He'd show them all that he was the stronger brother, even if it killed him! "Come Kakarrot, we have certain errands to take care of." Kakarrot immediately followed Vegeta out of the room, leaving a very jealous older brother behind with his companion, Nappa, who was a little annoyed that he hadn't been praised, just scorned. At least he was stronger than Radditz though, and everyone knew that, so at least he still had SOME pride.
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Ajax stood before his King trying to keep his expression neutral, even though the hate he felt in his heart towards the man made him want to rip his stupid head off there and then.
"Of course you can trust me your Majesty. I live my life to serve you, and you alone. Your wish is my command."
"Yes, that's what I wanted to hear. I knew I could trust you, that's why I called you in particular here." Ajax couldn't help it as his eyebrows twitched together; he probably hated grovelling to his enemy just as much as the King loved just about anyone grovelling to him. "I have a special little, well, 'mission' I suppose you could call it. Though, it's very secret, so I'm putting my trust in you to keep it that way."
"Oh?"
"Yes, I need you to do a little spying. My son is starting to irritate me, and the fact that he's never here is bothering me even more."
"I'll keep my eye on him your majesty."
"He's not staying in the palace, so I want to know where he's going. Do what you must, and tell only who you must."
Ajax grinned to himself; King Vegeta wasn't the only person who wanted to know where Vegeta was going. Frieza was very agitated with the whole situation, and had also given Ajax similar orders.
"I'll do my best my King. Is that all?"
"One more thing. I have an equally secret delivery for you to make. Oh, and if you see my brat, direct him here immediately." The King presented a red envelope and handed it to Ajax, who inspected the name and address. He recognised the name all too much, and sighed as he realised that the address was a planet situated at a moderate distance from Vegetasei. It would probably take him 2months to get there and back. Frieza would not be pleased.
"I will do so immediately your Majesty."
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Kakarrot followed Vegeta through the corridors of the Palace as they headed towards the storerooms. Kakarrot couldn't help but feel very proud of himself; his large teeth bearing grin giving away the large amount of happiness and pride that he felt. They passed the throne room at a quicker pace, only to hear the doors fly open as they had reached a considerable distance from them. Vegeta chose to ignore it, but scowled as he heard someone call his name.
"Prince Vegeta! I have orders from the King to pass on a message." Vegeta rolled his eyes and turned round to see none other than his favourite elite.
"Ajax, long time no see." Ajax immediately noticed the cold tone in Vegeta's already harsh voice and nodded, acknowledging Vegeta's newest company; the famous Kakarrot.
"Indeed it has been, the whole Palace is baffled as to your whereabouts." Vegeta raised an eyebrow; he didn't approve of Ajax's inquisitive tone.
"I'm here now aren't I? No, what was this message? You're wasting my valuable time with your useless banter."
"My apologies your highness. I've only just been told by the King to direct you to the throne room should I see you. He said that it was urgent."
"Ugh! Kakarrot, we're taking a detour." Vegeta stormed past Ajax in a huff and threw open the throne room doors, smirking as they banged against the white walls, hitting one of the unsuspecting Royal guards in the process while the other leapt out of the way. He then let his smirk deepen as he saw his father's face. 'It's times like these that I wish I had a camera.' He bowed when he stood before the King, and Kakarrot waited with the guards by the door, not wanting to intrude.
"You called father?"
"Such a dramatic entrance Vegeta, is something bothering you?" The King raised a suspicious eyebrow as Vegeta grinned, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"No. Should there be?"
"Of course not. I have some pleasing news for you. I would've told you sooner had you actually been in the palace."
"Get to the point. What is this urgent news?" The King grinned, loving the fact that he was in control; he was the one who was keeping his son in suspense.
"I've decided to take matters in my own hands lately. I won't be around forever you see, and you should've chosen a mate at your eighteenth. Though you choose to disobey me still I see. Aren't the common palace sluts even good enough for you anymore?" Vegeta scowled, 'how DARE he interrupt with my life! I don't want used goods, especially those in the harem! I refuse to even look at anything he was laid a finger on!'
"Well, what can I say? Other planets have more exotic beauties. Besides, that is no business of yours!"
"Well recently, I've made it MY business. I've decided to make your decision for you, whether you like it, or not. The law does say that you must have chosen your mate by your eighteenth. It is your duty as a prince."
"I'm not eighteen anymore father, I'm twenty-one. Too bad, looks like I broke the law 3years ago, and you only just realise? You really are going senile." Vegeta was more than satisfied with the frustrated vein that appeared on his father's forehead; something he'd unfortunately inherited since it ran in his family.
"Back to the point," The King's voice was slightly strained as he tried to remain calm. He needed to keep to his plans in order to trap his son and therefore discover the long awaited truth to his son's constant disappearance. "I'm holding a celebration in honour of my son and his decision to mate at last."
"I never made that decision."
"You have now, and what I say goes. I expect you to be here on the full moon of the 8th moon phase. I'm inviting a special guest who I'm sure you'll be very pleased to see."
"I doubt that. What if I choose not to go to this little 'celebration'?"
"You WILL be here Vegeta, the whole of Vegetasei will be expecting you be there. Do you really want to let down the country you will 'someday' rule?" He emphasised the word 'someday,' agitating Vegeta slightly since he made it seem like it would be a very long time before he would take over from his father.
"I'll think about it."
"No Vegeta, you've already decided. Enjoy freedom while you still can." Vegeta merely 'hmphed,' and turned his back on his father, ready to leave as soon as he could. "Oh, and that reminds me." Vegeta froze; what else did his father think he could force him into? "Having a mate means that you can't keep certain slaves, remember? I'll gladly take them off your hands." The King grinned; he was on to him, he had been for a long time, and Vegeta finally realised.
'Foolish bastard! He can't plan shit! I know exactly what he's up to, and I will never succumb to his plans. He'll have to fight me.' He grinned, liking where his own new plans were going.
"You'll have to find out where I'm lodging first old man, and I doubt you of all people will find the answer to take too soon, no matter who the hell you employ." Vegeta chuckled and made his exit, watched by the narrowed eyes of his father.
'Just you wait brat; you haven't heard the last from me! Not yet.'
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Kakarrot glanced at the Prince; he had a deep scowl on his face ever since he'd returned from his talk with his father. The scowl had now deepened as they flew back to Vegeta's hideout in silence. The fact that Vegeta kept looking behind him unsettled Kakarrot even more so; why would Vegeta be worried about anyone following them?
"Erm, is everything ok your highness?"
"YES!" Vegeta snapped back loudly, not even looking back at Kakarrot, who decided to once again remain silent. After all, he didn't want to annoy Vegeta even more; the results wouldn't be pretty.
The scowl still adorned Vegeta's usually handsome face as they finally landed outside the log home. The workers had once again left a mess outside, and had retired to their lodgings for the evening. Kakarrot led the way into the house via the backdoor to find dinner cooking on the stove. His stomach grumbled at the smell of cooking food and he dumped the many supplies that he'd carried from the palace, dumping them wherever he seemed fit. Vegeta's scowl deepened as he watched Kakarrot unpack; he hated messy people like Kakarrot invading his space and disorganising it.
"Fuckin hell Kakarrot! Just get out of my sight!" Kakarrot froze, and then immediately obeyed, leaving via the back door as quickly as possible. Vegeta sighed, his ears picking up giggling from the lounge. 'Now what is the bitch up to?' He strolled into the lounge via the closed door and gaped at what he saw. There, sat his slave and the other woman, but they both looked different. He was completely lost for words as he stared at one human in particular, he normally straight hair now set in loose curls. Whatever Bulma had done to enhance her already perfect appearance, he liked it! So much infact, that he had to fight the urge to just lift her into his arms and run upstairs where he could relieve all of his built up tension. There was only one way to fight that urge and remain cool however, and he knew Bulma wouldn't like it.
"What the fuck is going on in here?"
The two women gaped at him and Bulma suddenly frowned, putting away the nail polish that she was applying to ChiChi's nails. She'd at least expected a compliment, but she guessed that was asking too much from Vegeta the Ice King, or prince rather.
"Girls night in. Sorry Vegeta, you're not invited. OUT!" He stared at her in disbelief; how dare she tell him to leave his own room! The room that he'd built in the house that he'd built. And what the fuck was a girl's night in!? He'd heard of bi-sexual Saiyans, but he hadn't thought Bulma swung that way.
"Fuck your 'girls night in'! Your wasting your time in here while I've been getting damn supplies! I expected to see food when I got home, not the two of you 'pampering' yourselves! I should just throw you out and let you both fuckin starve!!"
Bulma slammed the small jar of nail polish onto the table and stood up, feeling a little more powerful when Vegeta wasn't towering above her, even though he was a few feet away.
"Fuck you VEGETA! Women NEED to be 'pampered' every now and then you know! And since neither of you 'men' won't and CAN'T do the job, we find other ways! NOW GET OUT!"
The nerve of her! The fact that she was feistier than ever annoyed him even more, and damn she looked stunning when she was in a mood. Vegeta folded his arms, trying to gain control of the situation, which was hard when he had so many other things on his mind to deal with. Controlling his animalistic urges being one of them.
"Woman, there's no way you're kicking me out of my own damn house!"
Oh yes she was! He raised an eyebrow as she stormed towards him, and before he knew it, he was staring at her seductive swinging hips, oblivious to the fact that she was very, very, pissed off. In one quick movement, she placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back into the kitchen while he was off-guard. Before Vegeta could even react, the door slammed in his face. He was about to rip the door off its hinges and charge back in there, but a certain voice interrupted him. Bad mistake.
"What's going on Vegeta? I could hear the arguing from outside!"
"I thought I told you to stay out of my face Kakarrot!" It wasn't a question, more of a statement, but Kakarrot wanted to see ChiChi, who hadn't been in her room.
"Is ChiChi in there?" Vegeta could've slapped the other Saiyan for his ignorance. Did no one listen to him anymore? Was he that unimportant? Nah, he was just loosing his touch.
"They're having a 'girls night in.' WE'RE not invited." With that stated, Vegeta slumped down onto one of the wooden chairs, ignoring the bubbling food in the pots. Kakarrot immediately tended to it however, not wanting his food to burn, even if there was a pathetically small amount being cooked.
"Well then let's have our own party!" Vegeta glared at his fellow Saiyan. The whole idea seemed pretty camp to him, especially as he watched Kakarrot cook; now THAT was disturbing! Kakarrot piled some huge potatoes into another pot and let them boil, adding a concoction of herbs and various green and red vegetables. He should've been a chef!
"You really are full of pathetic ideas Kakarrot! It makes me sick."
"C'mon Vegeta, we've got the kitchen!" Vegeta raised an eyebrow; the baka had actually said something intelligent for once!
"You're right! We have all the food we want!" He began to chuckle; another evil plan forming in his head. "They have to get hungry some time, and when they do. Haha! HAHAHAHAAA!" Kakarrot stared at Vegeta blankly as he laughed to himself, one of his famous, evil full blast laughs that he hardly ever used unless he had something really malicious on his mind. "We have all the power we need!" Kakarrot watched as Vegeta stood up and moved his chair under the door handle leading to the lounge; there was no way that anyone was getting into the kitchen now! Or anywhere else in the house even, since he'd only blocked off the lounge door. The small rectangle hallway, the stairs, and everything upstairs were only accessible now via the kitchen.
"Erm, Vegeta? Why are you blocking off the lounge?"
"I'm keeping them out of here baka, and the rest of the house too even!!" He smirked and sat back down, putting his feet up on the next chair and resting his head against his arms outstretched behind him. "Tonight, we feast Kakarrot. She'll be sorry she ever spoke a word back to me! Stupid little bitch, I'm even starting to pity her...nah! To hell am I! She deserves this!"
Kakarrot however, wasn't exactly sure if he liked the idea. He'd only wanted to see ChiChi after all, and here he was, getting himself involved with Vegeta's evil plans and letting ChiChi get dragged along in Vegeta and Bulma's constant games of war! That didn't bode too well at all.
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Meanwhile, Bulma and ChiChi were oblivious to the goings on outside of the lounge. Sure, Bulma knew Vegeta was somewhere in the house, probably sulking. Yeah, she wished! In reality, he was most likely taking his anger out on Kakarrot. Poor Kakarrot! She sighed and continued to file her nails. Vegeta just HAD to go and spoil her evening!
ChiChi watched the ever-changing expressions of Bulma's face, as she was lost in her own thoughts. She couldn't decide whether Bulma's latest actions against Vegeta had been good or bad. It was true that he hadn't really paid attention to Bulma, but she hated him anyway, so what was the big deal? She just had to find out, the question was killing her!
"Bulma? Erm, do you, well, erm, what I'm trying to say is, erm-"
"Spit it out ChiChi."
"Do you like Vegeta?"
Big mistake. Bulma froze, and ChiChi wished the ground would just swallow her up!
"Why are you asking me that? Isn't the answer obvious?" ChiChi wished that it was! Maybe then, she wouldn't have asked.
"Not really. I mean, you know, sometimes, you get along. But then, there's times like these where you, well, don't."
"I HATE HIM! He's a pain in the fucking ass. The un-removable thorn in my damn foot! I hate him ChiChi, H-A-T-E!"
"Ok."
The silence grew between them, and Bulma once again began to file her nails, though ChiChi wasn't completely convinced with Bulma's answer. She guessed that she'd just have to persevere and figure out the true answer for herself. There was no harm in doing that now, was there? After all, Bulma was constantly asking about Kakarrot, so why couldn't she ask about Vegeta? I mean, that seemed fair! Bulma would just have to deal with it if ChiChi found out she'd been lying, not that she was accusing her of lying though! ChiChi would never do such a thing.